Summary
Interferon therapy is useful for decreasing the serum ALT level and improving liver histology in patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. This study examined the effect of interferon therapy in acute cases of posttransfusion hepatitis C. we report on three cases in which interferon alpha was administered at 100–220.5 million units. HCV RNA became undetectable during interferon administration and the ALT level declined to the normal range. However, after the cessation of the therapy, the ALT level began to fluctuate and HCV RNA reappeared in two patients. We concluded that interferon therapy for the acute phase of posttransfusion hepatitis is useful for suppressing viral replication and quickly improving the ALT level, but it can not always prevent the development of chronic hepatitis. Furthermore, there was a close correlation between the profile of HCV RNA and that of the ALT level, indicating that the replication of HCV plays an important role in liver injury.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Choo QL, Kuo G, Weiner AJ, Oveby LR, Bradley DW, Houghton M: Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science 244:359–362, 1989
Kuo G, Choo QL, Alter HJ, Gitnick GL, Redeker AG, Purcell RH, Miyamura T, Dienstag JL, Alter MJ, Stevens CE, Tegtmeier GE, Bonino F, Colombo M, Lee WS, Kuo C, Berger K, Shuster JR, Overby LR, Bradley DW, Houghton M: An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science 244:362–364, 1989
Alter HJ, Purcell RH, Shih JW, Melpolder JC, Houghton M, Choo QL, Kuo G: Detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus in prospectively followed transfusion recipients with acute and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. N Engl J Med 321:1494–1500, 1989
Hopf U, Moller B, Kuther D, Stemerowicz R, Lobeck H, Ludtke-Handjery A, Walter E, Blum HE, Roggendorf M, Deinhardt F: Long-term follow-up of posttransfusion and sporadic chronic hepatitis non-A, non-B and frequency of circulating antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV). J Hepatol 10:69–76, 1990
Kiyosawa K, Sodeyama T, Tanaka E, Gibo Y, Yoshizawa K, Nakano Y, Furuta S, Akahane Y, Nishioka K, Purcell RH, Alter HJ: Interrelationship of blood transfusion, non-A, non-B hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma: Analysis by detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus. Hepatology 12:671–675, 1990
Esteban JI, Gonzalez A, Hernandez JM, Viladomiu L, Sanchez C, Lopez-Talavera JC, Lucea D, Martin-Vega C, Vidal X, Esteban R, Guardia J: Evaluation of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in a study of transfusion-associated hepatitis. N Engl J Med 323:1107–1112, 1990
Davis GL, Balart LA, Schiff ER, Lindsay K, Bodenheimer HC, Perrillo RP, Carey W, Jacobson IM, Payne J, Dienstag JL, Van Thiel DH, Tamburro C, Lefkowitch J, Albrecht J, Meschievitz C, Ortego TJ, Gibas A: Treatment of chronic hepatitis with C recombinant interferon alpha. A multicenter randomized, controlled trial. N Engl J Med 321:1501–1506, 1989
Di Bisceglie AM, Martin P, Kassianides C, Lisker-Melman M, Murray L, Wagonner J, Goodman Z, Banks SM, Hoofnagle JH: Recombinant interferon alpha therapy for chronic hepatitis C. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. N Engl J Med 321:1506–1510, 1989
Ohnishi K, Nomura F, Iida S: Treatment of posttransfusion non-A, non-B acute and chronic hepatitis with human fibroblast β-interferon: A preliminary report. Am J Gastroenterol 84:596–600, 1989
Weiner AJ, Kuo G, Bradley DW, Bonino F, Saracco G, Lee C, Rosenblatt J, Choo QL, Houghton M: Detection of hepatitis C viral sequence in non-A, non-B hepatitis. Lancet 335:1–3, 1990
Ulrich PP, Romeo JM, Lane PK, Kelly I, Daniel LJ, Vyas GN: Detection, semiquantitation, and genetic variation in hepatitis C virus sequence amplified from the plasma of blood donors with elevated alanine aminotransferase. J Clin Invest 86:1609–1614, 1990
Kato N, Yokosuka O, Omata M, Hosoda K, Ohto M: Detection of hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid in the serum by amplification with polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Invest 86:1764–1767, 1990
Okamoto H, Okada S, Sugiyama Y, Yotsumoto S, Tanaka T, yoshizawa H, Tsuda F, Miyakawa Y, Mayumi M: The 5′-terminal sequence of the hepatitis C virus genome. Jpn J Exp Med 60:167–177, 1990
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hagiwara, H., Hayashi, N., Kasahara, A. et al. Three cases of posttransfusion hepatitis C treated with interferon-α. Digest Dis Sci 37, 631–634 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01307593
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01307593